


Holiday Skills Workshop

by Pookaseraph



Series: CMUniverse [21]
Category: X-Men: First Class (2011) - Fandom
Genre: Alternate Universe - College/University, Carnegie Mellon, Double Dating, F/M, Ficlet, Fluff, M/M, Pittsburgh, Valentine's Day, Wheelchairs
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2012-02-15
Updated: 2012-02-15
Packaged: 2017-10-31 06:21:21
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Underage
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,296
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/340905
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Pookaseraph/pseuds/Pookaseraph
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>The Lehnsherrs and Xavier-Starks celebrate Valentine's Day together. Possibly slightly AU, vague spoilers for the resolution of the CMUniverse fic arc.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Holiday Skills Workshop

**Author's Note:**

> From 4 tumblr prompts:
> 
> cinnamon-lady24 asked you:  
> CMUniverse: Erik reserves Valentine's Day to treat his mom and sisters like princesses. Charles feels jealous and left out. Eventually, love happens.
> 
> charliebravowhiskey asked you:  
> Charles, Erik, Pittsburgh, skyline. Please? :D
> 
> Anonymous asked you:  
> V-Day plans for CMU verse? :D
> 
> Anonymous asked you:  
> I do not know if anyone has already prompted it, but I would love to see a Valentine's Day between C/E in the CMUniverse. :)

Charles tried to be understanding, he really did, but... _Valentine's Day?!_ He and Tony had put in restaurant reservations and tickets to ride the incline several weeks in advance. Erik, however, informed him just a few days before the date that Valentine's Day was for the Lehnsherr ladies, Edie, Anya, Wanda, and Lorna, with Pietro getting to come along for the ride.

"Hey, he's stealing my girlfriend, too," Tony said, obviously trying to cheer him up but feeling similarly put upon. "It's just an over commercialized holiday designed to sell flowers and candy and jewelry."

"Don't pretend like you didn't buy your girlfriend a diamond tennis bracelet Anthony Edward Stark." 

Their _first_ Valentine's Day together as a couple and Erik was going to spend it with his mom. He pouted. Tony patted him on the shoulder, which didn't make him feel any better so he pouted harder.

"Oh, stop that!" Tony snipped. He even took Charles' lower lip between thumb and forefinger and wiggled it slightly. "Maybe you could just tell him what it means to you."

Charles tried to answer but it came out as an incoherent mumble while Tony still had ahold of his lip. Tony let go. "This from Mr. Communications Skills?"

"Hey, I'll have you know I communicate awesomely." Tony did have a point, he and Anya talked about almost everything, including the fact that she was a bit disappointed she couldn't spend their first Valentine's together either due to family tradition. "Here." Tony made a gimmie gesture, Charles frowned. "Phone."

Charles handed over his mobile with some reluctance. "What are you going to say?"

"I'm going to call your boyfriend, and tell him that he's totally cock-blocking _himself_ from Valentine's Day sex, and that his mom can get a mani-pedi some other day.

Apparently someone at Erik's mother's work had called out 'sick' anyway, and she had to work, making Erik's plans something of a wash. Tony called this a win, dumped the Lehnsherr kidlets off with Sean, paid him three hundred bucks, and drove them all to Station Square for an early afternoon stroll around the area.

While the four of them were heading up the incline, Erik leaned in and pressed his nose to Charles' throat. "I'm... I'm sorry, I should have told you earlier, it's just... family."

"I know, Erik." And Charles did know, it wasn't like Erik wasn't accommodating of Tony.

"I... just should have remembered that you two are family now, too."

Charles was fairly certain he almost melted out of his chair.

*

The Monongahela Incline was actually a new experience for Erik. He'd never really been, never had a reason to be, and well... having a reason was feeling pretty special and amazing. Erik stood next to Charles, pretending to ignore the fact that his sister and Tony were standing a dozen feet away, making out rather publicly. The skyline was spectacular. Erik wasn't used to thinking of Pittsburgh as a beautiful city, but it wasn't only the company that made it incredible. Some of the buildings weren't quite as beautiful as he imagined they must be in New York, they were still impressive.

He was glad they were impressive, he... cared what Charles thought. He wanted Charles to love his city as much as Erik did. Charles seemed similarly infatuated, both with the view and the company. "That's the Cathedral over there, I think?"

Charles pointed back towards Oakland rather than the part of downtown they were looking out over now. Erik nodded. "Yup, it's huge."

"I actually thought it was part of campus when I first arrived! Imagine my surprise when it was on Pitt's campus, not our own."

He and Charles had been there, of course, just to see it. Oakland was a fantastic weekday date destination, and the Pamela's in Oakland was much better for Charles to get a space in. The one in Squirrel Hill was not good for him at all. Erik would have had to practically carry Charles around the restaurant. He wouldn't have minded, of course, but Charles would have, and that meant it was absolutely not acceptable.

They still had a few hours to spend before their Valentines Day semi-double-date in Station Square, and Erik glanced around awkwardly for a moment before he checked the breaks on Charles' chair and slid onto his lap. Charles hugged him close.

"It's beautiful," Charles said, hand resting on Erik's thigh, stroking very lightly. "So different from New York. Can you imagine any buildings in downtown New York being so... _short_?"

"I don't know," Erik admitted, he'd never been. He'd barely been out of the state before. He'd only ever seen New York on the television. "You'll show me."

"Yes, I will, my friend."

"Charles." Erik's voice was low with a slight growl.

"My darling? My love?"

Erik laughed, before he leaned down and kissed Charles squarely on the mouth. "I like darling."

"I like it too," Charles answered. "Erik... I..."

Erik froze for a moment, awkward and concerned and maybe a bit terrified.

"I don't think I've ever been more in love."

"Oh." He was relieved, and only Charles confused expression made him realize he should perhaps say more than that. "I feel the same. I'm... you fit with me."

"Bookends of the same soul."

"Don't try to write poetry, Charles."

Charles sulked at him for several seconds before Erik kissed it better.

*

When they finally arrived at the restaurant and were shown to their table, Charles ended up transferring out of the chair and into a booth - with some help from Erik. The Cheesecake Factory, like every other restaurant, was overloaded with couples being happy and adorable. Charles had to think that perhaps they were happy to fill one of their booths with four customers instead of two, though.

It was a tiny touch awkward, sharing the day with Tony and Anya, but they were both... each other's beards, in a sense. Anya was going out with 'Erik's friends Charles and Tony' and the whole thing seemed a lot less relationship oriented to Edie. Charles still wasn't a fan of hiding his relationship from Edie, but Tony was in the same boat so it was hard to feel it was a 'gay issue'. It was now more a jews and gentiles issue, with a side order of gay.

Erik slid in beside him, pressed against him ankle to shoulder, even though he couldn't feel the full effect the emotional effect was rather intoxicating. A few moment's later he felt a nose press to his ear and Erik kissed his jaw, before they finally actually settled in to look at the menus.

"Eww, brother kissing," Anya said, sticking her tongue out at Charles, a gesture that he returned immediately.

"You get used to it," Tony answered. "Why, after our first date..."

"That is not a dinner table topic of discussion, Tony," Erik shot back.

Drinks and bread arrived, sodas all around, and after only a moment, Charles raised his glass, everyone else followed suit just a moment behind him. "To... four and a half months of happy relationships."

"And family," Tony added, before they could all drink. Charles smiled.

Anya chimed in only a moment later. "And going after what you want."

All eyes turned towards Erik, and he looked down into his own glass, obviously uncomfortable with even the minimally personal nature of the toast. Charles squeezed his hand. Erik nodded, steeling himself. "For being happy with yourself."

They all softly clinked glasses and drank.

"All good things," Charles agreed a moment later. He reached out, tugged Erik to him and pressed his lips to the man's ear. "Are you happy, love?" The question was barely a whisper. 

Charles didn't doubt Erik's answer, but it was well worth it to see Erik's grin break out wide and toothy before he swept in to kiss Charles soundly again.

"Always."

"Forever."

Charles turned back to his drink and put up with Anya's mock gagging noise for only a second before he pelted a piece of pumpernickel across the table.

She giggled, but a moment later Tony swooped in and kissed her and Charles had to administer blood pressure medication to Erik in the form of kissing him senseless as well.

Ah, family.

*

When they arrived back at the dorm, Erik did his best to ignore the fact that Tony was dragging his baby sister back to his dorm room in favor of appreciating the fact that his own boyfriend was wheeling them in to his. The room was neat and tidy, as usual, and Erik stretched, considered the bed, considered Charles. "Are you going to want...?"

He watched a look of contemplation pass over Charles' face. He was actually familiar with the question, Valentine's Day verses Tuesday and later in the evening, but eventually he nodded and headed off to the bathroom. Erik tugged off his tie - ties were not sexy - and then retrieved condoms, lube, and vibrator, depending on what Charles felt up for, and put them on the end table. He was feeling... yeah, pretty damn good, nice dinner, time out with his boyfriend, Tony being minimally obnoxious... it was a pretty damn good day.

Charles returned a bit later, no pants, still in boxers and de-cathed for the moment, and Erik helped him up onto bed and settled in to straddle him, kissing along his throat.

"Happy Valentine's," Erik said, nipping along that pale, delightful expanse of Charles' neck. Charles' hands traveled up his sides, across his chest, and then up to undo the buttons of his shirt.

"Yes."

They made slow, lazy work of each other's clothes, being with Charles - aside from making him realize exactly how much he loved men, one man - had given him an appreciation for a more leisurely pace in bed. It wasn't a rush to be done. God was it ever not something to rush through. Erik's shirt ended up at the foot of the bed, Charles' draped somewhere over his chair, and the two of them touched, fingers down each other's chests. Erik's mouth went lower, tongue against Charles' nipple with easy familiarity.

Charles whimpered.

Erik continued to work, tongue trailing along Charles' chest and...

The bed trembled slightly beneath him and he frowned, looked up, and saw the closed eyes and the defeated look on Charles' face. He looked down, Charles' leg was shaking. He winced. Charles had said that spasms were very painful, and Erik really had no frame of reference so he had to take Charles' word for it. He slid off of Charles, waited a few seconds, and after he saw that this was not a momentary twitch he reached down to rub Charles' thigh.

"I'm... sorry, Erik." He sounded so...

"This is not the first time, nor will it be the last time." Erik was actually not unfamiliar with getting cock-blocked by Charles' legs. "You don't need to apologize." He leaned in, kissed Charles' lips. "Ever."

Charles still did not look pleased, did not look happy, and did not look convinced. "Why tonight?" He said, not a whine, just a soft, sad question.

"Because you need a leg massage and not sex."

"Maybe I wanted both."

Erik ignored his boyfriend's snark and reached out to gently massage at his thigh. It did nothing to demising the trembling under his hands, however, and he continued. Months ago he'd worried that Charles was somehow made of glass and couldn't handle a firm touch, now he had started to learn better.

"I had a wonderful time today," Erik said, continuing his massage. He looked up, into Charles' eyes so he could see that Erik was serious. "I've never had someone I wanted a day like today with before."

Charles finally seemed to relax, to believe what Erik was telling him, and the two of them pressed together for a soft kiss.

"I feel the same."

"Soul bookends?" Erik asked, lip quirking.

"Bookends of the same soul!" Charles bit his lip. "You have no sense of poetry."

"Roses are red, violets are blue, I want to take over, the world for you?"

Charles just laughed and shook his head. "You are horrible, terrible, Erik. I love you anyway, even if you don't appreciate my poetic declarations."

Erik continued to press his hands and fingers deep into the muscles of Charles' ankle and his calf and then his knee and thigh, and when he finally headed back down towards the knee again the trembling finally abated. By that time, however, Erik could see that Charles had transitioned from very much enthusiastic about making out to being frustrated, and a frustrated Charles was not nearly as much fun in bed.

"Roll over."

After a brief hesitation, Charles complied, and Erik returned to his massaging, starting with Charles' neck and shoulders.

Charles whimpered.

"You're too tense, Charles. I need to come over more."

His boyfriend answered with a contented noise in the affirmative, clearly beyond verbalization at the moment. Erik laughed, kissing down his spine while he worked the upper back.

Erik resolved, then and there, that he was going to work up the courage to tell his mother. He _had_ to, for Charles, for himself, and maybe Anya could tell mom about Tony after that; dating a gentile would likely seem less disastrous after the revelation that her son was gay, hopefully.

He would sort it out, perhaps, eventually.

Charles sighed, and then stretched. "I should... shower, unfortunately, get ready for bed."

Erik nodded and helped Charles back into his chair and he tucked away the condoms, lube, and vibrator, and then turned down the sheets before Charles cleared his throat.

"You're more than welcome to join me, Erik."

He nearly fell over his feet in a rush to join Charles.


End file.
